It was night-dark as I made my way down the hill to Loveland,
and dark still as Laurie and I waited in line to use the portapotties. Only right before the start of the Loveland
Half Marathon did the sun peek past the horizon and shed light on the beginning
of a beautiful day.
We watched from the side as the runners assembled behind the timing-mat
starting line, listening to race instructions as my race partner and I readied
our gear waiting for the imminent opening signal. I zipped my new running jacket to my chin to
fight the morning’s cool chill, adjusted the straps of my water backpack, made
sure my cell phone and headphones were at hand in my pocket. I gave Laurie my GPS watch to wear, and she
handed back my sports jelly beans I’d given her to safeguard from an incorrigible
overeater. As the call to GO! was given
and the runners started their race, we were as ready as we were going to be. Swinging behind the assembled body, we walked
across the starting line and began my first half marathon.
The early part of the course quickly routed us out of
downtown Loveland, through side streets and over a series of rolling
hills. Suburban throughways shortly
became winding rural roads, and we found ourselves leaf peeping the beautiful
autumn landscapes, framed against the Little Miami River, on our brisk walk. We developed a rhythm that became tranquil,
and it was only an incongruent clatter that made me look back and see that the
timing chip I’d zip-tied to my left shoe—or tried to—had fallen off. A quick reaction and a back track of a few
feet saved me $10!
A frantic fussing with the water valve and then some prodding
and squeezing of the bladder told me that my water backpack wasn’t going to
work. It was too complicated to figure
out en route, too expensive to ditch on the side of the road, so I resolved to just
heft the 4lbs that wouldn’t get lighter with each sip or ever-furthering distance. Four pounds on my frame isn’t near the burden
as it would be on yours! I tried to assure Laurie and reassure myself.
The prospect of imbibing water returned mixed messages from
my body: my dry mouth wanted as much as
possible with my throat seconding; my over-inundated bladder cried out, no
water, no more! My brain played arbiter—as
much water as possible, a bathroom as soon as you can! I was double fisting cups coming out of every
water station, then turning back to ask the high school running team volunteers
where the nearest bathroom was. Nobody
knew!
By this time Laurie had to go too, and introduced the idea of
weeing in the woods. Then we recognized
from our bike rides on the Little Miami Trail that the course was getting
closer to the river and we were going to be coming to a trailside park—bathrooms
ahead! We steeled our bladder-holding
determinations and quickened our gait before having a blissfully-brief respite of
relief in the restroom shelter. It was a
whole new race once we commenced, one where taking water and making water taxed
us not at all.
As we continued, we found ourselves mid-way through the fifth
mile, beginning a loop on the Trail that would send us two miles down and then
over six miles back, straight through to Loveland. As we made our way, we saw the runners—some looking
miserable, some looking like they were having a world of fun—on their return. Laurie started me on some sports jelly beans,
eager to anticipate the drop in energy rather than having to compensate for it.
Volunteer groups of young, cute cheerleaders called out
encouragements, telling us “You’re beautiful!”
which I, though I didn’t feel it, derived some energy from as my legs
were starting to get tired. I would
switch to a jog-at-walking-speed to hit less tired muscles, always conscience
of telling Laurie beforehand, so she wouldn’t increase speeds and leave me in
the fallen autumn leaves!
After making the turn, I appreciated that the Little Miami
Bike Trail was so flat, that it was placed at the end of the course. There wasn’t as many people heading down the
loop when we were coming back, but it seemed like Laurie and I were catching
and passing a lot of people, while not really being passed. Under tree cover, my GPS seemed to be losing
distance, the first time that’d happened.
And at what a time!
But as I started to get tired, and my watch was underestimating our distance covered by a couple
of miles and the mile markers seemed
to lie further and further apart, it was wonderful to have Laurie there to keep
me focused on the race. Making
conversation, asking me how I was feeling, instructing me to keep my form,
feeding me and giving me one of her two running bottle when I was thirsty,
Laurie—who didn’t break a sweat, who felt fine today—helped me finish the race.
At the point when a lady volunteer declared that we had just
one mile to go, I felt my legs tightening up.
I went into my jog for about a quarter of a mile, got tired and slowed
back into a walk. I felt the walking
gait in my hips and it hurt more than my tired jog, so I returned to the
jog. Not too fast, Laurie shouted, I don’t
want you to fizzle at the finish! She
told me to hold back until we crossed a familiar bridge close to the finish
line. Reined in, my adrenaline was going
as I strode off the bridge, and we took off.
I remember how strong I felt, how determined I was, pumping not only my
arms but turning my shoulders, and how high my knees were.
In my longest race to-date, it was my best finish line
crossing! Laurie and I told people we
wanted to best 3:30, but after training well we had a secret goal between just
us of 3:20. Turns out Laurie had a
secret, secret goal she kept from me of 3:15.
Our official time—with a bathroom break—was 3:01:16! I was so elated I didn’t even notice that my
nipples were bleeding in our post-race photos (Oh hell, oh well! Chaffed nipples is not the worst thing race
mishap that can occur ***Don’t Google Image Search “Runner’s diarrhea”*** :-P)
I would never have believed that I could
complete a half marathon. When my last
and longest race was a 5K, I can’t believe that in such a short period of time
I was able to complete a 5K plus 10 miles!
I’m so happy, so wanting to keep the momentum going that I’m soliciting
ideas of what to do next!
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